Is the EU giving up on its green battles and abandoning its leading role as a global green leader? Are governments rolling back their green policies and legislation? Is Europe becoming a land that invites any type of development, regardless of its ecological footprint, always based on a chorus of urgency in dealing with the economic crisis? Are we witnessing a decreasing footprint in European lifestyles?...

On the international Biodiversity Day (May 21st), Spanish group Ecologistas en Acción announced its analysis based on the IUCN’s European Red List of endangered species and the EEA’s Corine Land Cover. ...

A recent Government decision approving an additional €500,000 for more studies on the River Acheloos diversion to the plain of Thessaly has been heavily criticised as an outrageous waste of public money, especially in these hard times of austerity. This decision is part of a €500 million expenditure line titled “Ε064-Acheloos Diversion”, which is still included in the National Budget and is managed by the Ministry of Development....

The reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy is at crossroads: ministers from countries with industrial fishing fleets put pressure on MEPs in order to water down the Commission’s proposals for fast and full recovery targets for fishery stocks....

A new round of violent clashes between anti-gold protesters and police forces over the gold mining investment at Skouries, Chalkidiki, leaves between 2 and 7 policemen (accounts vary) and one protester injured. Three protesters were detained, on charges of resistance to and assault against the Police forces.  According to Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias, who visited the area in the aftermath of a February 20th arson attack against infrastru...

The Environment Ministry of Romania recently granted US energy giant Chevron the much contested exploration rights for shale gas in three areas in Eastern Romania. Chevron has long tried to obtain these permits, but serious objections against its plans were raised both by local communities in the concerned areas (ranking among the poorest in the EU) and by the incumbent Government of Victor Ponta, before its election in 2012 (see CrisisWatch 12)....

New solar power installations in the EU have shown a drastic decrease between 2011 and 2012, according to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association’s (EPIA) “Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2013-2017” published by the. According to EPIA,  “the results show clearly that Europe’s leading role in driving the global PV market is coming to an end. In 2011, Europe accounted for more than 70% of the world’s new PV installation...

In a crucial May 22nd summit, the European Council failed to show the much needed vision and leadership towards clean energy and phasing out of fossil fuels. Europe’s political leaders appeared reluctant to cut policy ties with the EU’s dependency on fossil fuels and tied the need for low-cost energy and industrial competitiveness to “silver bullet” options, such as shale gas. Although the summit conclusions reaffirmed the “implementat...

Aarhus Clearinghouse: European Court finds against UK on access to environmental justice (12 April 2013) OECD: Cities: green policies can contribute to growth (May 23, 2013) Bruegel: EU-IMF assistance to euro-area countries: an early assessment (May 2013). Bretton Woods Project: Climate Investment Funds Monitor 7  (April 2013).  ...

Dirty Gold: Crisis Has Europe Clamoring to Mine | Spiegel Online (26 April 2013)  By Luke Dale-Harris – “There is gold to be found across Europe, but the correlation between those countries now moving to exploit, and those hit worst by the sovereign debt crisis is clear. Since last year, the Portuguese government has signed 95 separate contracts with mining companies, with the priority given to gold and silver. In Greece, the government's...